Full transcript

Once upon a time, Autodesk CMO Dara Treseder was selected by her then-employer for an assessment with a professional coach, to see if she was executive material. "I knew I could, but I didn't think I would" make it to the C-Suite, she recalls. "And I didn't think I would because I didn't think anyone would give me the shot."

The big takeaway of the session reduced Dara to tears: Her CEO really believed in her, so much so that — if she improved on some problem areas — she could be a great CMO. So, Dara made a PowerPoint deck and took it to her husband with a pitch: Let's hire a professional coach on her own dime, "so that when I do get that top job, I am ready to go, and I can keep it," she says. "I think about that a lot, because many times, people are waiting for someone else to invest in them. You know what? You've gotta invest in yourself. If you don't believe in yourself, how do you expect anyone else to believe in you?"

Today on Building Better CMOs, Dara talks with MMA Global CEO Greg Stuart about why marketing is art AND science; the danger of falling in love with your own ideas; and Autodesk's campaigns at the Oscars and during the series finale of The Walking Dead. They also discuss Dara's journey from Nigeria to the US, having gratitude for your life, Apple's new "Mother Nature" ad, and more.

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This episode was produced and edited by Eric Johnson from LightningPod.fm.

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